Current property to let

hefford Woodlands, Hungerford   Monthly Rental of £550 pcm A one bedroom apartment situated in the rural hamlet of Shefford Woodlands. just to the north of Hungerford. The accommodation includes entrance lobby, white bathroom suite with shower over bath, on the first floor re-fitted kitchen, lounge and bedroom. There is electric heating and parking availabl  more...    Available to Let     Branch - Nye & Co      Reference number - NH00001573

KINTBURY   Monthly Rental Of £565 Situated a short walk from the Railway Station in this popular village is this modern one bedroom house with spiral staircase. Sitting room, kitchen with appliances, double bedroom, re-fitted bathroom with shower, easily managed walled garden and parking. UNFURNISHED. Available Mid January. Council   more...    Let STC     Branch - Nye & Co      Reference number - NH00001133

Hungerford   Monthly Rental of £575 Situated a short level walk from the High Street in a pretty courtyard development is this two bedroom first floor flat with balcony. The property has entrance hall, sitting room, kitchen with appliances, two bedrooms, bathroom and off road parking. There is gas central heating and UPVC double glazi more...    Let STC     Branch - Nye & Co      Reference number - NH00001557

Hungerford High Street   Monthly Rental Of £600.00 A spacious first floor flat with its own entrance in the High Street. Accommodation comprises lounge, bedroom 1, bedroom 2 with another room off which could be a study or another bedroom, large bathroom with shower hand set, kitchen, white goods, night storage heating. Available now. Council Tax Ban more...    Available to Let     Branch - Nye & Co      Reference number - NH00001587

Ramsbury, Marlborough   Monthly Rental Of £635 A spacious well appointed first floor apartment situated in the popular village of Ramsbury. Accommodation comprises reception hall, sitting room with adam style fireplace, range of fitted book shelves and storage, stylish fitted kitchen with oven, hob, dishwasher, washer/dryer, fridge freezer, two   more...    Available to Let     Branch - Nye & Co      Reference number - NH00001551

LAMBOURN   Monthly Rental Of £695 A two bedroom terraced property situated in the popular downland village of Lambourn. The accommodation comprises porch, hall, lounge, kitchen with appliances, two bedrooms and bathroom. There is gas central heating, UPVC double glazing and garden. UNFURNISHED Available Middle of March Council Tax B  more...    Let STC     Branch - Nye & Co      Reference number - NH00001248

Great Bedwyn, Marlborough   Monthly Rental Of £795 A larger than average two bedroom house in a cul de sac location situated in the popular village of Great Bedwyn.   Accommodation comprises entrance hall, cloakroom, kitchen with appliances, sitting room with built in storage units, conservatory with double doors opening to rear garden, spacio  more...    Let STC     Branch - Nye & Co      Reference number - NH00001463

Newbury   monthly rental of £850 A three bedroom semi detached house with garden backing onto Stroud Green. The accommodation comprises lounge/diner with open fire, re-fitted kitchen with appliances, three bedrooms (built in wardrobes in bedroom one), bathroom with shower over bath. The property has gas central heating, UPVC double  more...    Available to Let     Branch - Nye & Co      Reference number - NH00001584

Leverton, Hungerford   Monthly Rental of £875 An absolutely charming semi-detached Grade II listed "Pepperpot" cottage located in this small rural hamlet about one mile from Hungerford and an easy drive from Junction 14 of the M4. Accommodation comprises lounge, kitchen/diner, study/bedroom, utility/cloakroom, 2/3 bedrooms and bathroom. Calor g  more...    Available to Let     Branch - Nye & Co      Reference number - NH00001583

Hungerford (about 1 mile west of)   Monthly Rental of £1,500 A fantastic detached barn situated at Hopgrass about one mile west of Hungerford close to Freemans Marsh. Accommodation comprises large open plan vaulted living room and kitchen with woodburning stove, bedroom one with en suite bathroom, two further bedrooms, shower room, oil fired under floor heati more...    Available to Let     Branch - Nye & Co      Reference number - NH00001577

House prices fall for third month in a row

The average house price in England and Wales fell by 0.2 percent in December compared to November, while the number of transactions dropped five percent – 33 percent down on December 2009. That’s according to the latest LSL Property Services house price index.

This monthly fall, the third in a row, brings the average house price to £222,827, down £9,000 or 3.9 percent from the February 2008 peak of £231,828.

Annual house price growth dropped to 2.9 percent in December from 5.1 percent in November 2010. LSL Property Services said the rate of growth will slow as the larger gains of last year drop out of the calculations.

It also highlights widening regional disparities, with traditionally high-value areas such as London and the south-east displaying stronger than the national average house price growth.

LSL put a positive slant on the figures, saying that despite average house prices falling, the steady rate of the decline indicated resilience in the market.

There are currently plenty of would-be buyers available to take on mortgage products where they are offered, and for those with a large amount of spare cash the current market still represents a good opportunity to invest in affordable property, it added.

Economy round up and "double-dip" escape

The British economy will escape a ‘double dip’ this year, but households face a tight squeeze on living standards from higher-than-expected inflation, rising interest rates and tax rises, according to forecasts from a leading employers' organisation.

With VAT rising to 20 percent yesterday and consumer confidence hitting record lows, a sluggish property market and a drop in average house prices of 4 percent in 2011 completes the gloomy economic outlook.

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) says the Bank of England needs to raise interest rates further and faster than previously thought, because of the impact of rising world commodity prices on inflation.

The bank rate, which currently stands at 0.5 percent, is seen at 0.75 percent by the spring of this year and is envisaged to rise steadily to 1.25 percent this time next year.

However, even at such levels, rates would be low by historical standards.

The pace of recovery in the UK economy has been slightly stronger over the past year than expected and faster than typical during the first year out of a recession, but that rapid pace of growth is not expected to continue over the next two years of recovery, CBI said.

Good news for first time buyers

First-time buyers will tentatively return to the property market in 2011, according to two leading property websites.

A survey by FirstRungNow.com showed 40 percent of first-time buyers are ready to pull together a 10 percent deposit after executing careful saving plans.

And research by property website Rightmove estimates that one in four people who hope to buy a property during the coming year will be first-time buyers – up from a low of 22 percent in July.

With many young people seemingly now ready to embark on such a big financial commitment, here’s some advice for those ready to buy their first home:

Traditionally, a buyer can borrow up to three and-a-half times the main earner's income before tax, plus one times any second earner's income, or alternatively two-and-a-half times their joint incomes if this is larger.

Lenders have eased on affordability, however, most still use affordability measures and will go for around four times individual or joint salary.

Interest rates will go up, so it's sensible not to push such limits. The base rate has been cut to a historic low of 0.5 percent - mortgage rates for big deposits are at rock bottom, but will rise in the future.

Strength of rental market causes bidding wars

The gap in the UK property market is widening – while low activity is driving prices down in many areas, quality property in sought-after locations is now instigating bidding wars, lock outs and time limits on exchange.

That’s according to the County Homesearch Company. It says a select few locations, including areas of Kent and London, have witnessed a sudden increase in activity and competition.

A mini surge in top-end homes coming on to the market has led to fierce competition among buyers, with clients being strongly advised to offer additional non-returnable deposits to secure their property.

Such is the competition for luxury properties, some prospective buyers are paying fees of up to £10,000 to demonstrate they will not pull out of the deal.

County Homesearch Kent said activity is buoyant in some niche areas of Kent, adding that high levels of competition has also been extended to the rental market, with clients being advised to offer six months rent up front to secure a rental property.

London’s rental market is also at its strongest for years, meaning that investors can expect a healthy return, not only on their original investment, but on the rental yield too, its London division said.

Rural house price increase greater than urban properties

Houses in rural areas of the UK have increased in price by an average of £200 per week over the past 10 years, a greater climb than their urban counterparts, according to research by Halifax.

Homes in towns and cities have increased by 91 percent over the same period.

Buyers looking to purchase a property in the countryside can expect to pay a 20 percent premium, compared to one bought in an urban area. This difference has increased over the past decade with buyers in the countryside paid a 17 percent premium ten years ago.

The number of first time buyers in the countryside is much less than in urban areas with 27 percent of sales in rural areas being to first home owners, compared to 45 percent in towns.

The lifestyle benefits associated with living in the countryside still resonates with homebuyers, so rural properties continue to trade at a significantly higher premium to homes in urban areas, Halifax said.

However, as a consequence of rising property prices and generally lower average earnings, the housing market in rural areas has become more challenging over the past decade, particularly for those looking to get on the property ladder, it added.

Commercial Property Market Still Growing

The UK commercial property market continued to see positive capital growth this month, with values up by 0.2%, according to the CB Richard Ellis’ UK Monthly Index.

This is thanks to the Central London office market, which unlike the rest of the market, is enjoying strong growth because of the increasingly restricted supply and a positive rental growth outlook.

All property saw capital growth of 0.2% and a total return of 0.7%, with offices once again the top performing sector, with capital growth of 0.5% and total returns of one percent. All property rental values fell by 0.1% in October, with growth in Central London offices countering weakness elsewhere.

CB Richard Ellis said the surprising positive total property returns for this month is because capital values are continuing to defy weaker sentiment. But it also said the market continues to lack direction, and Central London aside, other subsector offices may be nearing an inflection point.

Contrary to the wider market slowdown, investment volumes are picking up, with total turnover for 2010 likely to surpass 2009’s £25bn, it said. Furthermore, UK institutions and foreign investors have been among the most active, accounting for around two thirds of the total investment so far this year.